Wine Varietals

wines

Sourced from a north-facing site beneath forest cover with clay-rich soils, a parcel selection in Vaillons, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Les Lys is among the most quintessentially Chablisien wines in the portfolio and is harvested around a week later than the fruit that enters the Vaillons bottling. It offers aromas of oyster juice, white flowers, lemon oil and Granny Smith apple, followed by a medium- to full-bodied, incisive and pure palate that is elegant yet racy and fresh, concluding with a long, saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RPI love Domaine Fèvre’s Les Lys bottling, year in and year out, and the 2023 is another absolutely superb premier cru in the making. The exposition of this vineyard is plain north, which may account why it acquits itself so well so often in this age of global warming. The 2023 Les Lys is a beautiful wine on both the nose and palate, offering up a complex blend of lime, pear, stony minerality, a touch of anise, dried flowers and an exotic touch of mossiness in the upper register that recall a bit the Abtsberg vineyard from Maximin Grünhaus. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, precise and complex, with a great core of pure fruit, a lovely girdle of acidity, fine minerality and a long, vibrant and impeccably balanced finish. (Drink between 2029-2060)John Gilman | 93+ JGThe 2023 Chablis Les Lys 1er Cru comes from a single hectare of vines. Lime, red apple and touches of orange pith and peach skin develop in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a taut line of acidity, silky smooth, very composed with a lot of finesse on the finish. This is one of the domaine’s hidden gems and should not be under-estimated.Vinous Media | 91-93 VMThis ripe white’s peach, apricot and melon flavors are accented by earth, citrus peel and vanilla notes. Airy in texture and mouthwatering on the finish. Drink now through 2033. 50 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 91 WSThis is also quite fresh though a bit cooler with its array of pretty floral, citrus confit, iodine and oyster shell nuances. There is unusually good richness and volume for Les Lys to the sappy and succulent flavors that terminate in a sappy, powerful and lightly bitter lemon-inflected finale. Good if not special quality here.Burghound | 90 BHClear pale lemon yellow. The nose is taking coaxing but has the precision. Very good tension, still with delicacy despite the concentration, nothing dilute here, good tension with a little bitterness at the back. Very promising. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 90-92 JM

In the hands of Fèvre winemaker Didier Séguier, premier cru Montmains has a certain initial reserve. But with time, the green apple and gooseberry notes, touched with acacia blossoms and spice, open up on the palate. The texture is lively and fresh, yet there is substance here as well. The grapes are assembled from 10 parcels throughout Montmains, including some in Forêts and Butteaux. Séguier explains that Butteaux is deep in the valley and further from the Serein so it ripens later. The grapes are fermented in tank and older casks for 40–50% of the harvest.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECDelicate aromas of white blossom, brioche, freshly-cut golden apple and dried grass draw in the nose with feathery opulence. The palate is rich with citrusy acidity that plays second fiddle to fall-ripened orchard fruit that washes across wet stone on the finish. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThere’s a sleek feel to this white despite its rich texture, revealing lemon, apple and flint flavors, plus a hint of honey. Harmonious and enticing, this ends with citrus and stone elements. Shows fine expression and length. Drink now through 2032. 250 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Montmains from Didier Séguier is a beautifully classic example in this vintage. The wine’s aromatic constellation is complex and refined, delivering a mix of green apple, lemon, wet stone minerality, a touch of menthol, dried flowers and a topnote of lime peel. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied and precise, with a lovely core of fruit, excellent backend mineral drive, fine balance and a long, zesty and complex finish. Fine juice. (Drink between 2027-2050)John Gilman | 92 JGSourced from a large 3.8-hectare south- and southeast-facing site, where individual parcels are harvested and vinified separately, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Montmains reveals aromas of Granny Smith apple, jasmine, pear and oyster shell. Medium- to full-bodied, the palate is taut and racy, concluding with a saline finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 91 RPAssembled earlier today, so cloudy and this procedure also masks the nose. Classic Montmains behind, with the usual reductive grip, yet also some elegance, very persistent. The lees were first class, says Didier Seguier and this certainly has the makings of a first class Montmains. Drink from 2027-2034. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 91-94 JMAn exuberantly fresh nose speaks of mineral reduction, prominent floral, oyster shell and essence of pear scents. There is again solid volume and richness to the seductively textured middle weight flavors that possess just a bit more finishing verve as well as more evident minerality. Here too there is a touch of warmth but it’s not really enough to materially impair the overall sense of balance.Burghound | 88-91 BH

Crushed stone and green apple mingle on the nose that rests against a wall of baby’s breath and muddled white blossom. The steely palate accentuates purity of fruit while elevating freshness on the finish that is lifted by a nervy layer of acidity. Wine Enthusiast | 94 WEThe 2023 Chablis “Vaillons” from Domaine William Fèvre is another absolutely classic expression of this fine premier cru vineyard. The bouquet is bright and complex, wafting from the glass in a lovely mix of lemon, pink grapefruit, anise, citrus peel, chalky minerality, white flowers and a gentle topnote of beeswax. On the palate the wine is vibrant, full-bodied and focused, with a great core of fruit, lovely bounce and grip, seamless balance and a long, mineral-driven and complex finish. First class Vaillons! (Drink between 2028-2055)John Gilman | 93 JGSourced from a sunny, precocious site that is typically among the first to be harvested, the 2023 Chablis 1er Cru Vaillons delivers aromas of beeswax, orange oil, pear and honeysuckle. Full-bodied, enveloping and charming, it is underpinned by ripe yet vibrant acidity and concludes with a saline finish, reflecting the personality of the warm vintage. The wine is derived from 3.5 hectares, the majority of which lies within Vaillons proper.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92+ RPLinear in profile, yet with a fleshy texture enveloping flavors of lemon cake, yellow plum and apple. There’s an underlying flintiness that, coupled with the acidity, brings clarity to the citrus-tinged aftertaste. Excellent length. Drink now through 2033. 150 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Chablis Vaillons 1er Cru has much more composure than the Montmains, more harmonious and poised. Light sea spray scents mixed with Crustacea come through with aeration. The palate is well balanced with fine delineation, quite linear and malic with a concentrated finish. I prefer this to the Montmains this year.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMAn exuberantly fresh nose features notes of essence of apple, sea breeze, pink grapefruit and oyster shell. The delicious, fleshy and solidly concentrated medium weight flavors deliver good if not truly special length on the lightly stony, balanced and bitter lemon-inflected finale. This is sufficiently rich to allow for early accessibility but it also has the stuffing to repay 6 to 10 years of cellaring.Burghound | 89-91 BHMid lemon yellow. A little headier in bouquet than the Montmains, balanced by a reductive note. Richer than usual for Vaillons but still with some balance. A little youthful bitterness. Not quite in place today. Drink from 2026-2033. Tasted Jun 2024.Jasper Morris | 89-91 JM

There is a ripe apple and apricot fruit aroma, lush buttery notes and a hint of spice. The texture is very rich in a classic Bâtard style. Winemaker Lucie Coutoux explained that they did a strict green harvest in July, cutting back to five to six bunches per vine, which pushed the ripeness forward, and thus, this was harvested first. She used her usual techniques: crush the grapes and slowly press them, running the must into barrel (25% new) with all of the lees. 2023 is the first vintage for Niellon since replanting the Bâtard-Montrachet in 2016. The results are spectacular.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECHere too there is a smoky note to the spicy and markedly floral-suffused nose of various white orchard fruit aromas, especially pear, along with a subtle if still easily perceptible wood nuance. Like several wines in the range, the medium weight flavors are not monsters of concentration but they do possess a sleek texture along with a lovely sense of underlying tension on the dry and balanced finale. While not quite what it used to be, it’s good to have an old friend back!Burghound | 93 BHIts back! Very young vines, needed a green harvest, in fact twice as the grapes compensated after the first. Took off half, so the vine could look after itself. 0.1190, 2273 for Chevalier. Had to pick first, with acidity declining. Pale colour, toasty nose. A lovely quality of fruit right away on the palate, less energy behind, or indeed length, only to be expected. The barrel toast remains, so look to a promising future. Drink from 2029-2034. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93 JMThere are three barrels of the 2023 Bâtard-Montrachet Grand Cru, whose vines were replanted in 2020 after being pulled up in 2015. Half the bunches were taken off in July before véraison to control vigor, and the pH is a little higher than other cuvées. There is some reduction on the nose, but you can feel the nascent energy. The palate is well-balanced with a richer, slightly more viscous texture than the Chevalier-Montrachet, powerful and long with a dash of spice on the finish. Of course, this is the opening chapter of the vineyard, and you can feel that it’s not full power, but it represents a promising return.Vinous Media | 90-92 VM

Chevalier-Montrachet 2023 from Domaine Michel Niellon is among the luminous successes of the vintage. The initial restraint on the nose gives way on the palate to aromas of ripe pear and quince with a hint of marzipan and fresh white flowers. The texture is generous, almost voluptuous, but there is a balance and elegance that hint at its noble origins. The grapes are from 0.22ha of 60-year-old vines at the base of the slope near the Leflaive parcel. Ideally, one would wait 10 years for this wine to show its full potential.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECOnce again there is a smoky whiff on the pretty, cooler and much more complex nose of wonderfully spicy pear and apple scents that are liberally laced with citrus and petrol nuances. The sleek, intense and more concentrated markedly mineral-driven flavors terminate in a chiseled, youthfully austere and bitter lemon-inflected finale that just goes on and on. This is a powerful but impeccably well-balanced Chevalier that should easily reward a decade plus of cellaring. In a word, terrific.Burghound | 95 BHPlanted in 1963 Lucie thinks. A bit degenerate, so lots of millerand. Picked at the start. Just as pale in colour, however the nose has more character showing the white limestone soil. Very linear, a classic Chevalier in the mouth, with warmth and energy to finish, but this is like licking the rock itself, more than eating the fruit. Quite tightly wound, so well worth longer keeping. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 95 JMThe 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Grand Cru has an intense bouquet with crushed limestone, slightly more malic than Niellon’s Chassagnes. A touch of nuttiness develops with aeration. There is a pleasing strictness here. The palate is well-balanced with a fine bead of acidity, taut and fresh. There is a little CO2 in the barrel sample, yet the energy is palpable on the finish, and it feels long and sustained in the mouth.Vinous Media | 94-96 VM

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Sur La Roche 1er Cru has a lively and focused bouquet with crushed stone and light orange blossom scents that gain intensity in the glass. The palate is well balanced with a fine bead of acidity and just the right amount of bitterness to keep this Pouilly-Fuissé on its toes. This fans out wonderfully on the finish. Excellent.Vinous Media | 93 VM

The 2023 Pouilly-Fuissé Vieilles Vignes includes two parcels that were candidates for Premier Cru but denied as they were once quarries. Don’t ask me…ask the INAO! Tangibly, this has more salinity on the nose and that comes through on the palate, harmonious and poised, lightly spiced with a hint of tropical fruit on the finish. What a lovely Pouilly-Fuissé!Vinous Media | 91 VM

Grapes for the 2023 Chardonnay Russian River Valley were harvested over the course of a month, from initial picks on September 13 to the last pick on October 14. It was barrel-fermented, underwent full malolactic conversion and was matured for 12 months in 10% new French oak barrels. It has open, inviting aromas of stone fruit and pineapple, panna cotta, ginger, toasted brioche and honey. The palate combines concentrated, layered flavors with fireworks of fresh acidity, and it has a very long, perfumed finish.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 95 RPSourced from Lafranchi, Westside Farms, Sonoma Foothills, Martinelli Laughlin, Kilcullen, Dutton Sebastopol, and Frank Johnson—all cool-climate sites with low-vigour soils such as Goldridge loam, planted between 1978 and 2017 and aged for 12 months on the lees in barrel (10% new French oak). This is clean and sleek, a beautifully balanced medium-bodied Chardonnay with luxuriously ripe stone and orchard fruit. Exotic baking spices complement layers of guava, white peach, and macerated mango with apricot. But what’s most impressive is the intensity and purity of the fruit—so precisely delineated, profoundly spicy, and laser-focused. At $50, this is one of the finest, most balanced, and well-structured Chardonnays from the Russian River Valley at this price point.Decanter Magazine | 95 DECLeaps out of the glass with intensity, offering vibrant fruit flavors of crisp Meyer lemon, apple and pear. Aromatic details of tangerine, lime sherbet and lemon blossoms add complexity alongside fresh herbal accents of lemon balm and sweetgrass. Crushed rock minerality lingers on the long, expressive finish. Drink now through 2039. 13,549 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSEnergetic acidity and ample fruit flavors give this full-bodied wine a sense of strength and structure. After a blast of green apple, pine bough and citrus aromas, an array of subtle baking spice, ripe pear and baked apple flavors come out as you sip. Drink now.James Suckling | 94 JS

The 2023 Clos des Chevaliers from Domaine Chartron was one of the most brilliant wines I tasted during my entire nearly three weeks in the cellars here in Burgundy. The wine is utterly brilliant on both the nose and palate, with the bouquet offering up a pure, beautifully complex and elegant blend of apple, pear, fresh almond, crème pâtissière, a complex foundation of limestone minerality, lemon blossoms, a refined framing of vanillin oak and a topnote of lemon zest. On the palate the wine is deep, full-bodied, complex and seamlessly balanced, with a great spine of acidity, a gorgeous core of fruit, great mineral drive and cut and a very, very long, vibrant finish. Pure magic. (Drink between 2030 - 2075)John Gilman | 98 JGThe delicious Clos du Chevalier is the top wine in the Chartron cellar, boasting intense aromas of lemon peel, mandarin and passionfruit, with nuances of acacia flower and a pronounced saline minerality. The texture is lively and vibrant but rich as well, with a superb balance between the extract and the racy acidity. The clos, a former monopole of the Chartron family, is above the Montrachet from Marquis de Laguiche; although they sold 0.16ha to Lalou Bize-Leroy for its Domaine d’Auvenay, Chartron still owns a half-hectare of Chevalier here. Cellar this for at least a decade before opening.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Chevalier-Montrachet Clos de Chevaliers Grand Cru is Charton’s best Grand Cru this year. Intense and flattering citrus fruit notes commingle with crushed stone and light undergrowth scents blossoming in the glass. The palate is fresh, vibrant, beautifully balanced and very harmonious with a long and tender finish. Cohesive and multi-layered, très bon vin!Vinous Media | 95-97 VMAn attractive pale colour with a lime streak. Pure and stylish on the nose, with the white limestone feel of classic Chevalier. The bouquet will express itself more later on, I suspect. On the palate, the terroir also reverberates, with a very fine-boned acidity alongside the nuanced white fruit and flowers, with just a little well-judged oak bringing up the rear. A high-class finish. Very distinguished. Drink from 2030-2037. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMA markedly more floral-suffused nose speaks of distinctly cool white orchard fruit aromas, mineral reduction, Asian-style tea and a lovely range of spice nuances. The gorgeously textured and notably denser medium weight plus flavors exude a prominent stoniness on the sappy bitter citrus-tined finale that goes on and on. Like the Clos du Cailleret, the mouthfeel is like sucking on a small pebble and overall, this superb Chevalier should amply reward extended cellaring.Burghound | 92-95 BH

Fantastic depth and length to this wine, showing aromas and flavors of sliced apples, stone, flint,matchstick and white pepper. It’s full-bodied and reserved, with very fine layers of bright fruit and minerals. Tight, structured and compact with a long finish. Already impressive, but best after 2027.James Suckling | 98 JSOpulent, creamy and expansive, this white fills the mouth, offering peach, apple, quinine and salty mineral flavors embraced by vanilla and toasty oak notes. There’s a tactile sensation, and this still lacks integration, yet all of the components are there, along with power and length. Best from 2027 through 2042. 3,800 cases made, 1,400 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 93 WSLatour’s 2023 Corton-Charlemagne Grand Cru wafts from the glass with notes of pear, mandarin oil and peach mingled with notes of struck match and freshly baked bread. Medium to full-bodied, satiny and seamless, it’s rich and textural, with a sweet, layered core of fruit and an expansive finish. Now bottled under Diam, it should age with grace.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 92-94 RPCool, pretty and attractively layered aromas include those of Granny Smith apple, spice, wet stone and a plentitude of citrus elements. There is both more volume and richness to the bigger-bodied flavors that exhibit good power on the balanced, sappy and moderately firm finale. This also could use better depth but that should develop in time.Burghound | 90-93 BH

The 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard is sensational. Powerful and deep, there is almost no sensation of tannin, but it’s all there. Graphite, inky dark fruit, menthol, licorice, chocolate and sage are some of the many notes that infuse the 2023 with its character and personality. This is one of the most captivating wines I have tasted from Russell Bevan.Vinous Media | 98-100 VMThe 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard has a similar inky purple/ruby hue to go with sensational aromatics of red, blue, and black fruit as well as crushed stone, iron, baking spice, and leather. This wine is dense, rich, and full-bodied, with a monster of a palate, ripe tannins, and a gorgeous finish. It’s going to require just a few years in the cellar, but this is another tour de force from Bevan.Jeb Dunnuck | 97-100 JDBevan’s 2023 Cabernet Sauvignon Tench Vineyard comes from a site in eastern Oakville, alongside the Silverado Trail. This vintage shows Ribena-like purity in its cassis aromas, plus a delicate hint of dried sage. It’s full-bodied on the palate, chunky and intense but maybe lacking a bit of finesse compared to some other years. At this level of quality that’s a quibble, as it’s concentrated and long on the finish, a super example of Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that should drink well for close to two decades.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RP

Based on 75% Cabernet Sauvignon, 13% Merlot, and 12% Cabernet Franc, the 2023 Ontogeny shows ripe, sexy levels of blue fruits, darker chocolate, graphite, and even a kiss of minerality. It’s full-bodied, round, lush, and layered, with sweet tannins and a pleasure-bent profile that’s hard to resist. Drink this hedonistic pleasure bomb over the coming 15+ years. As always, this is an absolute brilliant Napa Cabernet Sauvignon that more than delivers the goods. Drink 2025-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Red Wine Ontogeny is bold, punchy and super expressive. A blast of super ripe dark cherry fruit/plum fruit, spice, tobacco and chocolate are all beautifully amplified. Ontogeny delivers tons of Bevan personality and character. Floral and savory overtones extend the long, polished finish. The 2023 benefits from the inclusion of a few lots that I tasted last year separately that were later added into the blend, most notably the two Cabernets from Phelan Vineyard that I reviewed from barrel.Vinous Media | 94 VM

‘The idea of Massetino is to create a more approachable wine,’ states winemaker, Gaia Cinnirella. And combined with the plump juiciness and aromatic appeal of 2023, this is incredibly enticing. Ripe dark berry scents mingle with damp earth, Mediterranean scrub and chocolatey nuances. It has a steely energy, coiled and bright, its vertical structure padded out by generous juicy, creamy red and black berries, and supported by fine-grained tannins. It’s a bold expression this year, with a slightly drying woody finish that should resolve with time in the bottles, but it’s countered by freshness and a really lovely line of acidity which runs through the body. Delicious!Decanter Magazine | 96 DECA dark, super-intense, rich and complex wine. On the nose it shows restrained bramble fruit, vanilla, cloves, eucalyptus and leather. Lots of graphite on the palate, with firm, velvety tannins, chocolate flavors, refreshing acidity and a chalky, oaky finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSLush and well-marked by toasty oak, this red displays plum, blackberry, leather, vanilla and salt flavors. A dense matrix of tannins lends support as this extends on the lightly chewy finish. Merlot and Cabernet Franc. Best from 2026 through 2033.Wine Spectator | 92 WSThe 2023 Massetino is an attractive and expressive wine. Medium in body, the 2023 offers up an attractive mix of dark plum, mocha, new leather, cedar and espresso. Time in the glass brings out pretty floral and spice top notes. The oak and extraction feel just a bit pushed for the wine’s mid-weight structure. The 2023 was done in a period of transition with technical teams and winemakers, and that is evident in this particular vintage.Vinous Media | 90 VM

The nose offers citrus zest, stone fruit and fresh florals, layered with hints of blackcurrant leaf and a cool, chalky minerality. With some air, creamy and spiced notes begin to emerge, adding quiet complexity. On the palate, it’s medium-bodied and precise - bright, mouthwatering acidity keeps things lively, while the mineral backbone carries through to a clean, lingering finish. Sokolin Tasting Panel | 93+ SP

Sourced from Pisoni Vineyard and brought up 16 months in 60% new French oak, the 2023 Chardonnay East Of Eden Pisoni Vineyard is light to medium gold-hued and offers exotic stone fruits, honeyed melon, spice, and some minty, herbal notes. Medium to full-bodied, it has a pure, layered crystalline mouthfeel, integrated acidity, and a fabulous finish. It’s a rich, powerful, serious Chardonnay that will keep for 8-10 years. Drink 2025-2035.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDThe 2023 Chardonnay Pisoni Vineyard East of Eden is notably fresh for a Chardonnay from the Santa Lucia Highlands, where Chardonnay can tend to lack energy. A wine of deep mineral intensity and phenolic grip, the 2023 speaks firmly, with powerful inner tension and nerve lends a ton of textural intrigue. Lemony, chalky lift enlivens the finish. Another excellent 2023 white from Paul Lato.Vinous Media | 94 VM

From the Sierra Madre Vineyard in Santa Maria and aged 16 months in 65% new French oak, the 2023 Chardonnay Le Souvenir Sierra Madre Vineyard delivers Chassagne-Montrachet minerality and white flowers, with beautiful stone and citrus fruits. Medium-bodied, it has a vibrant, pure, focused mouthfeel and salty minerality on the finish. It’s another incredibly classy, pure, seamless Chardonnay from Lato that does everything right. Drink 2025-2032.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThe 2023 Chardonnay Sierra Madre Vineyard Le Souvenir has great energy and vibrancy, marrying the reductive, flinty house style with a wash of salty acidity that enlivens the palate. Chamomile, mango, mint and sweet cream unfurl in a voluptuous, full-bodied Chardonnay with real sensuality.Vinous Media | 95 VM

Dill, limes, green ginger and crushed stones on the nose. The palate is extreme, marked by intense mineral tension, pronounced salinity and a delicious severity that sets this wine apart from even the greatest chardonnays of the world. Incredibly fresh and mouthwatering. Spectacular. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 99 JSThe 2023 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones from Gualtallary, Tupungato, opens with clear notes of huacatay, chamomile and hops. It’s reminiscent of reductive Sauvignon Blanc and layered with green apple, mint and nutty notes. Compared to previous vintages, this is leaner and more vibrant, with fine, chalky grip and medium body. Just a gorgeous wine.Vinous Media | 98 VMThe 2023 Adrianna Vineyard Chardonnay White Bones leads with its quintessentially lifted, vibrant bouquet of citrus rinds, dried spices, white flowers and fresh herbs, continuously developing additional complexity from its biological aging under flor. The palate combines live-wire focus with ethereal richness and a gently creamy core that runs through its mouthwatering and mineral-drenched finish. A fantastic iteration of the exotic, precise profile readers have come to expect from this pioneering Gualtallary Chardonnay reference point.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 97 RPOne for the ages from an ageworthy vintage, the 2023 Chardonnay Adrianna Vineyard White Bones is textured, layered, and herbaceous, as all the White Bones wines are. Native thyme accents a medium-bodied, persistently fresh character of lemon crisp that’s complex and lengthy. The oak is well-integrated already, adding to the balanced structure and mouthfeel. This has 20-30 years more to go, with an ideal drinking window of 2030-2040.Jeb Dunnuck | 97 JDThere’s personality and energy to this white that just won’t quit. Opens with aromatically engaging notes of sage, river mint and lime zest that meld seamlessly into a core of green mango, finger lime and passion fruit. The body shows a silky richness, yet without the typical weighty lees or oak flavors, instead building intensity around tense minerality. Picks up a hint of pickled ginger on the lengthy, expressive finish. Drink now through 2040. 500 cases made, 215 cases imported.Wine Spectator | 95 WS

Another exceptional vintage for Smith-Haut-Lafite Blanc. It’s so complex and structured, offering a palate that feels similar to the texture of a red wine with a velvety tannin structure. There’s a lot going on here. Spice, crushed seashell and citrus blossom. Salty, too. Weightless and so long. 90% sauvignon blanc, 5% sauvignon gris and 5% semillon.James Suckling | 97-98 JSStrong aromatics, on the expressive side with herbal accents, spiced wood, green apple, quince, apricot, mango, peach honeycomb and elderflower. Very floral. Fresh and expansive, mineral and direct, but a good body full of fruit, freshness and honey characters. Definitely more opulent and exotic than the others in the range with hints of tropical fruit - pineapple and mango but also some lovely bitterness which adds tension to balance it out. A good combination, more vibrancy and energy than in previous years. Succulent and sumptuous with salinity. Very good and very easy to drink. Ageing 50% new oak.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECThe 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc was picked from August 23 to September 9 at 36hL/ha and matured in 50% new oak. It has a reticent bouquet at first, requiring a few swirls of the glass to reveal touches of orange pith, peach skin, wild fennel and light pressed white flower scents. The palate is very well balanced with a lovely creamy texture, counterbalanced by the taut line of acidity. Very poised and focused, it’s somehow almost Corton-Charlemagne-inspired on the finish (perhaps due to the umami). This is a seriously fine white Pessac-Léognan.Vinous Media | 95-97 VMOne of the bigger, richer wines in the vintage, the light gold-hued 2023 Château Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc offers up a killer nose of orange blossom, honeyed citrus, toast, spice, and minty flowers. It’s medium to full-bodied and has a richly textured, layered mouthfeel, bright acidity, and a great finish. It’s probably the white of the vintage.Jeb Dunnuck | 95-97 JDAromas of white fruits, crisp orchard fruits, spices, smoke, spring flowers and pear introduce the 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte Blanc, a medium to full-bodied, layered and textured wine with a fleshy core of fruit and racy acids, concluding with a mineral, fresh and long finish highlighted by delicate notes of thyme and garrigue. Comprising 50% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Sémillon and 5% Sauvignon Gris and matured in 50% new oak, this blend is among the finest white wines produced at this address.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 94-96 RPA blend of 90% Sauvignon Blanc, 5% Semillon, and 5% Sauvignon Gris, the white 2023 Smith Haut Lafitte is aging in 50% new oak. After a swirl or two, it prances out with gregarious notes of white peaches, fresh pineapple, and green mangoes, opening out to underlying hints of lime blossoms, wet slate, and fresh ginger. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and vivacious, with a racy backbone and a long, exotic fruit-laced finish. Yum!The Wine Independent | 94-96 TWI

A tangy and fresh wine with intense flavors of sliced apples, lemons and limes. Medium-bodied with very fine phenolics for a Wente clone chardonnay, giving it length and structure. Complex and refined. Minerally, with a botanical character almost like a gin and tonic. Dense on the mid-palate. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 97 JSA straw yellow color, the 2023 Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge offers more depth on the nose, with more polished notes of baking spice, frangipane, lemon curd, beeswax, and melon. The palate is full-bodied, with a bright and persistent spine of acidity that carves through its more supple ripe texture, it has a mouthwatering, salty finish. It’s tightly wound and needs another 6-12 months in bottle. Drink 2026-2038. For my taste, I would drink the Sonoma Coast bottling over this, but it’s certainly exceptional and impossible to deny.Jeb Dunnuck | 96 JDLayered and lifted, this vintage of Flowers Camp Meeting Ridge is a striking expression of its far-coast origin - a stunning estate in one of the most rugged landscapes of the West Sonoma Coast. It opens with a touch of a welcome flintiness and subtle sweet white florals. Notes of saline-dried seaweed and perfumed mandarin peel bring brightness and tension, cutting through richer tones of twice-baked almond croissant and a drizzle of honey. The palate is generous, medium to full-bodied, with a well-balanced mix of citrus and baking spices, beautifully complemented by its coastal acidity—a delicious wine with depth, energy, and clear potential to age gracefully.Decanter Magazine | 96 DECAromas of white flowers, fresh linen, apple and citrus blossom jump from the glass on the nose of this Chard. The palate is a layered and concentrated affair, with flavors of tangerine, pear, cinnamon and white flowers that expand across the finish.Wine Enthusiast | 96 WEShows wonderful precision, with complementary flavors of pear, Meyer lemon, yuzu and lime sherbet. The structure is equally impressive, offering density and Himalayan sea salt notes that add an appealing grip on the finish, where aromatics of vetiver, lemon balm and lemon thyme linger. Drink now through 2038. 1,200 cases made.Wine Spectator | 94 WSThe 2023 Chardonnay Camp Meeting Ridge was matured in 25% new French oak puncheons. It has slowly opening aromas of peach, beeswax, orange peel and saline. The medium-bodied palate is satiny and expansive with pure flavors. Its firm, linear acidity brings it back into focus, and it has a very long, expressive finish. 1,200 cases were made.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 93 RP

The killer 2023 Condrieu La Doriane boasts gorgeous orange blossom, honeyed flowers, toasted spice, and grilled peach aromatics that build incrementally with time in the glass. Medium to full-bodied, focused, and pure, this brilliant effort spent 9 months in 100% new French oak and represents the crème de la crème of the vintage. I’d recommend drinking bottles over the coming 7-8 years, although it will keep longer. Drink 2025-2033.Jeb Dunnuck | 98 JDHow can you resist the fresh honeycomb, honeysuckle and toasted brioche aromas and controlled extravagance of this high-end Condrieu? Rich stone fruit aromas on the expansive, medium- to full-bodied palate, where the freshness of the vintage deftly lifts the long, generous finish. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSMatured for 9 months in 100% new French oak, the 2023 Condrieu La Doriane takes off with toasty subtleties, mingling pristine white peach, apricot and jasmine with a touch of honeysuckle. Packing elevated flavor concentration on the dense palate, the 2023 is an outgoing, articulate La Doriane. Round and complex, it walks off the stage with a touch of lemon flesh and wet stone on the long, nuanced finish.Vinous Media | 94 VM

The 2023 Zinfandel Old Vines is packed with dark cherry, plum, cedar, spice, tobacco and dried herbs. The mix of forward fruit and complicating earthy/savory notes makes for a compelling budget-friendly Zinfandel.Vinous Media | 91 VM

A juicy and savory red with aromas of blackcurrants, fresh sage and rosemary. It’s medium- to full-bodied with creamy tannins and a long and beautiful finish. Shows finesse and polish. 80% cabernet sauvignon, 10% merlot and 10% cabernet franc. Needs two or three years to soften, but is already very pretty. Sustainable. Drink or hold.James Suckling | 95 JSThe 2023 Giusto di Notri is one of the more refined wines of the vintage at Tua Rita. A burst of dark red/purplish fruit, new leather, rose petal, cedar and mocha makes a strong first impression. Silky tannins wrap it all together in style.Vinous Media | 92-94 VM

This is even cooler and more restrained as the nose only grudgingly reveals its aromas of mineral reduction, green apple, spice, acacia blossom and a deft touch of wood. The gorgeously textured medium weight flavors brim with both minerality and sappy dry extract that buffers the youthfully austere and even more persistent finish. This too is very classy and a classic Clos de la Mouchère of grace and poise. If you can find it, buy it.Burghound | 95 BHA fuller yellow here, and an extra degree of completeness, more weight and almost all the class. The oak is still at 50% new and is very well integrated. Gorgeously rich, with little fruits dancing through a meadow. Once again, I do see the magic of this. Henri was strongly advised by his father to look after “Madame de la Mouchère”. Drink from 2030-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 94-97 JMThe 2023 Puligny-Montrachet Clos de la Mouchère 1er Cru is another very classy wine. Vertical in feel, the 2023 is super-bright from the outset. White pepper, flowers, mint, sage and pear reinforce that impression. Readers will find an airy, deceptively mid-weight Puligny that possesses remarkable depth.Vinous Media | 93-95 VM

This is a blend of Le Charlemagne, and Hautes Mourottes, which from 2024 Pierre-François will make separately, calling the former Charlemagne and the latter Corton-Charlemagne. In 2023 there are eight barrels worth, made in two new barrels, two older barrels and a concrete egg. These have been racked to tank since just after the harvest. Pale in colour, stony with a little toast also. Crisp white orchard fruit with a little flesh behind, and good tension. Nicely balanced at 13.5% alcohol. Drink from 2029-2038. Tasted Oct 2024.Jasper Morris | 93-96 JM

The 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village presents a pretty nose with a mixture of blackcurrant and raspberry fruit. Well defined with nicely integrated oak, it conveys a sense of transparency. Fine tannins frame the palate, offering raspberry and strawberry fruit with a dash of spice on the finish, which is more structured than I expected. Delightful.Vinous Media | 90-92 VMThe 2023 Gevrey-Chambertin Village offers up aromas of cherries, raspberries, spices and licorice, followed by a medium to full-bodied, fleshy and textural palate. Lively and mouthwatering, it’s an especially charming, giving vintage of the Dugat village bottling.Robert Parker Wine Advocate | 89-91 RPA slightly riper nose freely offers up its array of plum, dark currant and more prominent earth influence. There is more size and weight, if not necessary better density, to the sappy, dusty and complex finale that is noticeably firmer. This is a lovely Gevrey villages and worth considering.Burghound | 89-91 BH